One of the biggest problems I remember having way back in the day was writing papers for either my math or physics classes. Back when I was in college, Windows wasn’t around. Windows didn’t really become Windows until well after I graduated from college. I had access to word processors and such, but they were DOS based, and at the time, most people hand crafted complex mathematical expressions in their documents. It was just easier, and a lot more affordable than any programmatic alternative. This is why I like MathType. It constructs mathematical expressions on your Windows PC.

MathType allows you to enter mathematical equations as easily as you would write math with paper and pencil. The app makes use of Windows 7’s built-in handwriting recognition, though you’ll need a PC with a touch screen in order to use this feature. You can also use its point and click editing features. With Automatic Formatting, you can create equations quickly by choosing templates from MathType’s palettes and plugging and chugging data into its empty slots. MathType applies mathematical spacing rules automatically as you type.

If you don’t have a TabletPC or Windows PC with a touch screen, the app also supports customizable keyboard shortcuts. If you already know the TeX typesetting language, you can enter equations directly into MathType or Microsoft Word documents. TeX editing can also be mixed with point-and-click editing. You can even paste in equations from existing TeX documents. Existing expressions can be saved to the MathType toolbar for repeated use later.

If you need to compose complex mathematical expressions for your Office documents, there’s no better tool than MathType. The app is easy to use, supports Windows 7’s TabletPC extensions and touch enabled hardware. With support for Office XP forward, it’s going to work with the version of MS Office you already own. The only issue with the software is its limited scope and target audience.

Let’s be honest, most of us mere mortals struggle with the complex trinity of geometry, algebra and calculus at the best of times, so any piece of software which simultaneously renders these subjects accessible and makes them interesting, ticks all the necessary boxes as far as we’re concerned.

GeoGebra is a free, open-source, and multi-platform piece of mathematics software designed with one thing in mind, to enhance our understanding and increase our use of geometry, algebra, and calculus. It is suitable for all levels of education but obviously the more comfortable you are with complex maths the more you’ll get out of it.

GeoGebra is the brainchild of Markus Hohenwarter and its basic premise is to connect geometric, algebraic, and numeric representations in an interactive way. Its flexible geometry tool provides ease of use and enables you to directly enter and control equations and coordinates, which allows you to plot functions.

Using pre-configured tools you can create points, vectors, lines, segments, conic sections, and a whole lot more. GeoGebra has a very handy default interface with a toolbar crammed full of useful icons to make your life easier, such as points, lines through, two points, polygons, ellipses, angles, reflect objects, and sliders. Small property boxes allow you to customise and configure each item you are working with, and objects, once placed, can be easily moved around, making GeoGebra a great tool to teach, learn, and perform math.